- Born
- Birth nameMariya Yurevna Sharapova
- Nicknames
- The Siberian Siren
- Sibirskaya Sirena
- Masha
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- Maria began hitting tennis balls at the age of four. At the age of six, she participated in an exhibition in Moscow which featured Martina Navratilova. At the age of nine, she began training at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy. During her first two years at the Academy, she was separated from her mother Yelena due to visa restrictions and finances. Maria would travel to tournaments with her father, Yuri, and coaches Robert Lansdorp, and 1984 Australian Open boys' doubles champion Mike Baroch. Yuri eventually replaced Baroch and Lansdorp with former ATP Top 100 player Michael Joyce, who guided Maria to 3 Grand Slam titles and the World #1 ranking (Lansdorp was quoted as saying in 2004: "I've never received anything from one player. Not even a $500 gift. They're all multi-millionaires but I've never received one thing. And I'm telling you, if Maria doesn't put a Mercedes convertible in my driveway, I'm going to shoot myself". Sharapova attended Lansdorp's 75th birthday party in 2013). Off-court, her interests include modeling, singing, jazz dancing, movies such as Pearl Harbor (2001), and reading.
- IMDb mini biography by: victorjr85@yahoo.com - Mariya Sharapova is a Russian former professional tennis player.
Sharapova competed on the WTA tour from 2001 to 2020 and had been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA on five separate occasions, for a total of 21 weeks. She is one of ten women, and the only Russian, to hold the career Grand Slam. She is also an Olympic medalist, having won a silver medal in women's singles at the London 2012: Games of the XXX Olympiad (2012). Sharapova achieved a rare level of longevity in tennis, and is considered one of tennis's best competitors.
Sharapova became the world No. 1 for the first time on 22 August 2005, at the age of 18, becoming the first Russian female tennis player to top the singles rankings, and last held the ranking for a fifth time for four weeks from 11 June 2012, to 8 July 2012. She won five Grand Slam titles, two at the French Open and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, winning 36 titles in total, including the year-ending WTA Finals in her debut in 2004. She also won three doubles titles.
Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tango Papa
- ParentsYuri SharapovYelena Sharapova
- Plays right-handed
- 2 handed backhand
- Grunts loudly when striking the ball
- Towering height.
- Sexy voice
- Her loudest grunt was measured at 101.2 decibels (louder than a motorcycle or a lawnmower) on 21 June 2005 at Wimbledon Centre Court. Previously the loudest grunt was by Monica Seles at 93.2 decibels.
- She was (and still is) so ambidextrous that she almost became a left-handed tennis player.
- Wears a size 10 shoe.
- Born in Siberia, Russia, and raised in the United States since age seven. Father Yuri brought her to the U.S. in 1994, but mother Yelena didn't join them until two years later due to visa problems.
- She defeated world #1 Amélie Mauresmo (6-0, 4-6, 6-0) in the semifinals and world #2 Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the 2006 US Open to win the title and $1.7 million in prize money.
- "I wouldn't say I'm in love with them." (about her endless legs)
- Of course, because another three Slam titles will bring a lot more than $25 million, they would be worth even more [than $100 million]. (On whether she would give up her millions for more slam titles)
- Rivalries are exciting for me and for the sport. That's what women's tennis really needs and men's tennis doesn't lack.
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